The Wake of Zendikar
by shanebaer
Summary: The tale of Rin, a young mage, and her adventures on the harsh world of Zendikar. Will she survive the wilds, as well as her enemies? Will she find friendship - and perhaps love? What lies behind those blue eyes?
1. Chapter 1:  Hatchling

Again, I exhaled heavily. My warm breath seemed to coalesce into a stream of smoke, drifting off slowly into the frigid night air. I couldn't help but smile, yet again.

It was these days that the brumal winds blown from Sejiri swept the Agadeem coast. The annual message was clear: harvest season had come. My hands were numb, and white from clenching the granite crenelations. My lips cracked with each stinging breath I took. The chilled wind whipped hoarfrost in my eyes, and yet I refused to look away from the ocean.

I loved it. While the dock workers and farmers were out celebrating, drunk on last year's harvest, here I stood reveling in the cold. It was beautiful and humbling out here, at the base of the port city's lighthouse. I was reminded of the Lighthouse at Sea Gate, and I felt a trickle of water run down my face. Not seawater, but salty all the same. I bit my tongue as the illuminating beacon of the structure swung lazily across the panorama. For but a moment, it permitted glimpses of the crashing midnight waves. I didn't care that it was the Lantern Festival. I was blissfully happy right here, I told myself.

I must have looked like a statue – not quite alive, bare feet in a puddle of ice water, wearing only a simple woolen sweater and a skirt. My only claim to the contrary was my golden hair blast-blown by the gale.

I exhaled another evanescent wisp. It churned in front of my eyes for a moment, its ephemeral form reminiscent of wild mana.

A clammy hand brushed my arm lightly.

"Hemer," Without turning around, I addressed the aging merfolk, "What brings the lighthouse keeper so far from his perch?" A glum sarcasm nearly dripped from the words, like seawater from my face.

"I see much from my vigil, hatchling," Rasped his voice in answer, "Including young girls who shouldn't be out in the cold, alone during a time of great happiness."

I'm not a little girl. I'm not alone. I am happy. Really.

My feet, unfeelingly numb, moved like grinding stone. I faced the lighthouse keeper. The merfolk's kindly face was beset by the deep grooves of age and framed by a scraggly grey beard.

He said nothing, but held out a webbed hand. I took it, and allowed myself to be led, feet dragging heavily, inside.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ioric," I said, "Have you ever been to Sejiri?"<p>

The man sitting across from me tilted his head up. He had a long, unshaven face checkered with small scars. His black hair, as always, was tied up. His head, by contrast, hung very low, as if it was about to fall off his shoulders. At times it looked as if the only thing holding his head up was an invisible hand gripping his hair.

Before I had spoken, he had been lost in thought and silence, a far-off look in his eyes. Draped over the armchair haphazardly, he might as well have been a rag doll. Now snapping out of his reverie, he blinked once.

"Sejiri?"

"Yeah," The word only barely escaped my open mouth. It felt as though the air was unusually dense, threatening to stifle my speech entirely. The quiet words my lips tried to give form found themselves suffocated by this invisible pressure.

"Once," He paused for just a moment, mouth agape, "Sort of." He shifted himself into a position that looked more upright, yet still seemingly lifeless, "Made it into Midnight Pass and all that. Never set foot on land, though." He shrugged.

"Oh."

"Any reason you ask?" His voice was hollow, like he only spoke out of habit and courtesy.

I didn't answer. Instead I merely glanced around. The lighthouse was by no means large, but Hemer had been gracious enough to let my companions and I stay in what meager living quarters were available, since we were just passing through. That had been the plan, anyway.

Ioric and I were lounging in the common room. It was a grand room, by far the most lavish in the entire lighthouse. A great many cushioned chairs and sofas were strewn about the cavernous space. There was an enormous fireplace, large enough for three men to stand abreast in, and deep enough that one could lay down in it comfortably. Though I wouldn't have advised anyone to do so at that exact moment; the fireplace still housed a smoldering fire, casting a lethargic orange light on the entire room.

I curled up into my especially comfy armchair, sinking my face into the soft cashmere cushion. The fire's warmth and light came to caress me. I was so entranced by the fire and veritable mountain of glowing coals that I didn't notice my other three companions stumbling back into the room after a night of merrymaking.

The unmistakable reek of alcohol reached me before they did. Fortunately they were too tired to make much of a fuss, instead collapsing on various seats in the common room. Hemer wouldn't be too happy about that. But of course he would never say so.

I waited a few minutes until I heard the noisy, wet snoring of my inebriated compatriots.

As I got up from my cozy refuge, I noted that the others were indeed sleeping soundly. I sighed. How did I ever get stuck with this lot? I made to leave.

"Going out?" I heard before I had taken two steps. Damn you, Ioric.

"Yeah," I said, "Thought a late night walk would do me some good."

"I'll go with you, then."

My eyes rolled involuntarily. Immediately I hoped he hadn't noticed. "Mmm," I responded, lost for anything intelligible to say.


	2. Chapter 2: Lullmage, Part 1

My eyes were shut tightly. My jaw clenched uncomfortably and my brow furrowed. My entire body was tense, nearly shuddering from exhaustion. I didn't really notice any of that, though. I couldn't let my concentration waver for a second. I sensed residual blue mana in the air. My mind's presence reached out and plucked every mote of it I could identify. I scrambled to gather enough to continue channeling my precise magic.

"Good, very good. But remember to breathe – your face is nearly purple!"

I let out a weak gasp. At this voice's behest, I tried to take in a deep breath. As I did, I felt the mana that I had been concentrating on a moment before slipping away. It had only been a moment's lapse in concentration, but it was enough. Panicking, I refocused on reaching out for it again. I was able to capture a few motes, but I lost my grasp on most of them completely. Dread welled up in me as I braced for the wicked backlash from the spell failure.

My head reeled. It was as if a steel-toed boot had stomped on my mental grip of the spell. Mana dispersed in waves as I collapsed on the soft ground. The stones I had been levitating followed, making light thumps on the soil around me.

It wasn't as harsh as I had anticipated. I had expected to go unconscious. Yet here I was, cool grass tickling my face. I would have sighed with relief if I hadn't been gasping for air.

I wasn't in a hurry now. I waited for my breathing to catch up with me. When it finally slowed to a normal pace, I allowed myself to move. I opened my eyes and looked up.

The forest canopy was obscured by a head-shaped shadow. It was all angles, with a sharply pointed chin and nose. I knew instinctively that it had been patiently watching over me.

"I lost it."

The shadowed bust shook with laughter, "Of course you did. Honestly, I'm surprised you kept a spell like that going for as long as you did. Fine manipulation isn't easy by any means."

"But they were pebbles," I said with a tinge of exasperation, "What will I do if a boulder falls down on me?"

"Die, probably," His voice was cheery and almost melodious. The tone was, to my dismay, in agonizing contrast to the seriousness I had hoped for. He laughed again as I scowled.

I sat up and blinked the light out of my eyes. The man who I was talking to was now grinning from ear to ear. His soft, brown eyes were fixed on me. His pointed features were even more distinct in the filtered green light of the forest.

"I'm serious," I implored him.

The man composed himself with a deep breath, "Like I said, that was a very controlled exercise. If you need to avoid being hit by a bigger rock, you'd just need to push it out of the way. Besides-"

"But the power that would take would be-"

"Besides," He said, poking me in the rib playfully, "That's the reason I'm here."

I let out a groan. I knew he was right, but that had not been the answer I wanted to hear. I wanted to believe I was sent on this expedition as more than a trainee. Though, seeing as I had trouble levitating a few pieces of stone I suppose that was a bit unrealistic.

"I just-" I swallowed hard, barely choking back my frustration, "I was having enough trouble gathering enough mana to keep those pebbles in the air," I confessed, "I'm always struggling with stuff like that. How am I supposed to get better if I'm still overwhelmed by the most basic concept of spellcasting?"

The sarcastic answer I had expected didn't come. Nor did the the echo of a comforting guffaw. I heard none of the carefree reactions I had come to expect of my companion and mentor throughout the expedition. Only sheer silence. It was a solemn silence, one that settled on my shoulders as so much grave dust, weighing them down.

My blank stare drifted downward, settling on the forest floor. I sat motionless in the clearing for a while. My mentor sat quietly, though I could feel his eyes on me. I appreciated that.

The grass was a deep, healthy shade of green that carpeted the forest floor. It swayed slowly with the delicate evening breeze. The motion was peaceful and welcoming; it was a cool, comfortable refuge from a day of trekking across dangerous terrain. I ran my fingers through the loamy soil, if for no other reason than just to keep my hands occupied. If I didn't know better, I would have thought I was safe in this verdant cradle.

Of course, thinking one is ever safe is a great way to get killed on Zendikar.

I risked a glance upward.

As I did, another smile cracked across my mentor's face. The same one he had always seemed to give me these past few months. I wasn't sure whether I was being comforted or simply patronized.

"You're still very young, you know."

Of course, that was not the answer I had been looking for. Frustrated as I was at his ambiguity, I let out a massive sigh. It was just as obtuse as a rampaging baloth and nearly as loud. I think my mentor just enjoyed bringing up the fact that I was filled to the brim with childish naivete. I, on the other hand, had heard just about enough about the need to practice and mature. I was hardly that patient.

"The more you use your magic, the easier it will be to-"

Another, louder sigh cut him off.

"Fine," He said, sitting straight up, "You want to learn? Listen."

"I don't need to listen – I need to be better!"

"No," He said harshly, and pointed to the forest beyond the clearing, "Listen."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and decided to humor him. My ears perked up. I heard exactly what I had expected to hear. Our companions were arguing and clamoring to set up camp for the night. The wind was rustling through the leafy canopy, as usual. There was some gargantuan beast a long ways off crashing through the woods, only barely audible over the sound of trickling water.

My mind spun as I finally processed what I had just heard.

"Water!" I exclaimed.

He beamed proudly, "Exactly. Often you can't find enough mana around you. In that case, the answer is as simple as finding more."

I sprang to my feet immediately, ready to rush off and practice more. I had just reached the edge of the clearing when my adventure was cut short. A loud snap echoed through the woods. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I glanced towards my mentor as more rustling came from the woods. His wide eyes and defended stance were all I needed to see.

I backed up back into the clearing. There was another sharp crack of splintering wood, this one closer. I was breathing hard. I wasn't preparing any spells to protect myself. No, any such thing was far from my mind. My thoughts were clouded by a single-minded primal urge to run. My body was taut, like a rope holding fast.

There was a great crash as the source of the noise seemingly barreled through into the clearing. A man, burly and clad in mail paused as he entered the clearing, his arms full of kindling. I nearly fell over in a mix of exhaustion and relief.

"Damn, those woods are thick," The mailed man remarked. He proceeded to sweep a few loose pieces of underbrush from his hair and armor.

My mentor and I stood as still as the evening woods around us, too exasperated to say or do anything in response.

"Hey, Veere, how about you magic us up a nice fire?" The mailed man said, hefting his load pointedly.

He had already continued past, turning his back to us towards where our expedition had stopped to make camp. Veere just blinked once. After a pause to punctuate the motion, he followed up with a cautionary "What."

The man yelled over his shoulder, "Fire. You know. Warm. Bright. Burns you if you get too close?" His cackle of laughter belied his mock-ignorance.

Veere stood up. He rose to the bait, "I know you're new to the expedition party, but even you should know I'm a lullmage. I don't do fire."

The man turned around, shifting the kindling under one arm, "Oh, I know that all too well, mage." He spat out the last word like bile.

Striding up to meet the man toe-to-toe, Veere had a personal presence that matched the other's sheer size. "Maybe you should show a little more respect for the man who saved you from slavery, Ioric." His voice carried an air of warning, each word carefully measured. I sensed blue mana forming a menacing aura around my mentor as the two locked eyes. Veere's voice was unctuous as he continued, "I'm sure Kazuul would be more than happy to take you back."

Ioric's nostrils flared. He seemed to grow bigger as his muscles bulged involuntarily. He threw down his load of branches. Bringing himself to his full height, he looked like an avalanche ready to barrel down onto the much smaller Veere.

I opened my mouth, hoping to let out a squeak of warning. Nothing. No sound would escape my mouth as I braced myself for the impending blow.

But it never fell. After a second of tension, Ioric huffed, "Hmph. You're not worth it."

And with that, he simply backed off. He bent over and began collecting his dropped kindling.

Veere bellowed, "Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"

"No one I need to answer to," Ioric growled.

Mana was pouring off Veere now. The other man couldn't sense it, but I nearly recoiled. There was enough power there to make a gust of hurricane wind. It would be more than enough to send Ioric on an airborne trip he wouldn't be coming back from.

"Watch your step." Veere said, eyes narrowing.

Ioric finished picking up the firewood and stood up, "Is that a threat?"

Veere answered through clenched teeth, "Just a fair warning. I wouldn't want our meat shield to miss a step and end up at the bottom of a ravine somewhere." He broke his stare and made his way back towards me.

"Well then you watch your back, mage. It would be a shame if I accidentally buried my axe in it." Ioric shot back. He stood glowering for a second, then two, and three. When no answer came, he let out a snort of contempt. He took his load in both hands once again and walked away into camp.

Veere and I stood in the clearing for a long time. When I felt the last of his tapped mana burn off, I ventured to console him, "Don't mind him." I laid my hand on his tensed arm, but I was shrugged off almost immediately.

"Emeria in the Sky," He seethed, "What's his problem, anyway?"

I stood where I was. Enraged as Veere was, I didn't dare try once more to comfort him. I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I suppose it was a familiar feeling by now. Never a comfortable one, though.

In that moment my companion's emotions were completely alien to me. I couldn't help him, but I didn't want to leave his side. There was no right choice. I couldn't force myself to make any sort of decision, too afraid to make the wrong one.

So I just stood there, my head hanging low, as it so often did nowadays.

I felt a hand alight on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that," There was a hesitancy in his voice. He took a deep, pained breath, "I can be an idiot sometimes, like anyone else." He made a sound as though he was trying to force a grim laugh, but all that was heard was a wheeze.

I still didn't know how to respond. This was a man I didn't know. A man who showed deeper emotion than the carefree joker who I had seen him as, ever since I was assigned to this expedition to Murasa.

I raised my gaze, only to find his mournful eyes cast upon me. My lip trembled without my consent.

"Thank you for being here for me," He spoke in a low tone. I could only just hear him.

I blinked the water out of my eyes and forced a smile. "I'm glad I'm useful for something,"

"I'm sure Ioric acts how he does for a reason," I continued after a slight hesitation, "And I don't think it's you."

We were still for a moment. One calm moment.

Without warning, Veere pulled me into a hug. His blue cloak was warm. Its folds nearly enveloped me. I was drifting, floating in a sea of safety and comfort. At that moment, I didn't want to bother with my bedroll. I just wanted to fall asleep right there.

"You know, I might be nearly twice as old as you," He sighed as his pointed chin brushed over my hair, "But you're a lot more grown up than I am."

He rested, still and silent for the longest time. I didn't know what to say. I was shocked into a sudden lack of speech. I didn't understand how he could say something like that. It was, well, flattering. But probably against protocol.

He leaned his head down close to me. I felt the warmth of his cheek against mine. His lips just barely brushed my ear, which twitched reflexively. This was most assuredly not part of protocol. I tried to squeak out something audible, preferably coherent. To my dismay, no such sound welled up from the depths of my open mouth.

"Too bad I'm the one who can drop rocks on people, huh?"

I pushed him away, just a little harder than I meant to. I took a deep breath and sighed, my rigid shoulders loosening.

"Don't jest about such things," I scolded.

He laughed again, lightly. Before I could react, he leaned back in over me and gently touched his lips to the top of my head. Then, with a flourish of his cloak, he pivoted and began walking back towards the camp and recently-lit fire, "C'mon, let's go grab something to eat."

"Um," My voice trailed off. I didn't move to follow him. My hand went up to the top of my head. I could still feel where he had kissed me. Almost as though I still felt his presence. It felt like an energy spreading to the rest of my body. It wasn't a spell, I knew. My face flushed. What was this?

What he had meant by the action, I couldn't have guessed. What I thought of it... I knew even less of that.

But just then, I was right where I wanted to be. Though maybe I didn't know it at the time.

We ate and slept that night like any other night on the march. The kiss forgotten, for the moment.


End file.
